If happiness is having all the laundry done, I’m pretty sure no one has ever been happy. Laundry success is too often defined as digging through the basket of clean clothes for two socks that match. As opposed to digging through the heap of the dirty laundry you’re composting on the floor. Of course, you still may end up wearing socks that don’t match. But hey, maybe it’s all part of an elaborate plan to keep us laundry-humble.
Yesterday it took me all day to put away my smallest load of laundry. Why? Scoop-neck top. Small hanger. I was about one re-hang away from completely losing my mind.
I do like it that in the bigger-than-laundry scheme of things, God has a plan to help me not lose my mind. To actually save it. In Romans 12:2 just after Paul has urged us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (vs. 1), he says, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God,” (HCSB).
Our minds are not meant to be lost. They’re meant to be renewed. In the very next verse, Paul says, “I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly,” (vs. 3, HCSB).
“Think sensibly” is from the Greek, “sophroneo” which means “to save,” and “phren” which means “mind.” So what we have here is, literally, a “saved mind.”
Our minds are to be so renewed they’re not puffed up with pride. Every time we get hung up on thinking of ourselves too much, too big and too often, we can be brought back around to the sensible place of not conforming to our culture, but being transformed through a renewed mind. We don’t define success so much by what we’re digging through or how we’re hanging. But maybe much more by how we’re stooping or bending or kneeling or serving. By how we’re humbly loving.
It starts with surrendering our lives to Him on the altar, which is what leads us to that renewed mind—one where pride isn’t allowed to reign—which then takes us to knowing and doing the will of God—serving Him.
That elaborate plan to keep us humble? It can almost be summed up in “don’t lose your mind.” Keep that mind surrendered to and focused on Christ, instead of letting it sort of compost on “self.”
Our happiness doesn’t hang on laundry. We’re the most fulfilled and content when we’re thinking and operating outside ourselves and engaged in the kingdom of Christ—doing His will, thinking His way, loving Him, loving His people, loving His truth.
We’re told to have “minds ready for action” in 1 Peter 1:13 (HCSB). It’s matching up good, right and true thinking with humility and letting that launch us into service. All the while, hanging onto His love and truth—hanging on His every word. Rehanging whenever necessary. Because that’s really not a bad thing to do.